THE

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

BRIEF HISTORY

The ancient
civilisation of Hawaii traces its origins into the mists
of time. The four great islands of Hawaii, Maui, Kauai
and Oahu were originally ruled by separate Alii
Aimoku, under whom, subordinate district Alii
r held feudal sway. All four dynasties were interrelated
and claimed descent from a certain Wakea. Believed to be
of devine origin, he is said to have arrived in the
islands from the Moluccas, in the Indonesian archipelago.
Information on all four dynasties is provided within
these pages.

For some condsiderable time,
during the latter half of the eighteenth century, the
kingdom of the island of Hawaii fragmented into several
petty principalities and chiefdoms. Internecene warfare
between them became common. Unity had to wait until a
young Chief of the main dynasty, began a series of wars
of conquest and strategic alliances. Succeeding his
brother as Alii of Kohala and Kona in 1782, he set
out to unify Hawaii proper, and later to subdue the
neighbouring islands. Known to history as Kamehameha the
Great, he came to unify the whole of the Hawaiian, or
Sandwich, islands into a single kingdom by 1810. His
descendants ruled the united kingdom, until the
extinction of his direct line in 1874.

At the
extinction of the male line of Kamehameha, the nobles and
chiefs chose David Kalakaua, a great noble of high
standing and a descendant of Kamehameha the Great's
grandfather. He died without issue having nominated his
sister, Liliu-o-kalani, as is successor. She was deposed
by an armed coup d'etat by American colonists in 1893.

The leaders
of the coup proclaimed a republic in 1894, filling all
senior government positions themselves, to the exclusion
of Hawaiians. Four years later they succeeded in
persuading the United States to annex the islands
outright. After a period of sixty years, in which, free
immigration from the continental US reigned, Hawaii was
given the opportunity of becoming a State of the United
States. Not surprisingly, the majority of the electorate
eventually chose, so to do. Throughout this period, the
Hawaiian monarchy, its institutions and its symbols have
provided a powerful source of national pride and reminder
of freedom to the indigenous population.

Queen
Liliu-o-kalani not having had any living issue herself,
adopted and appointed David Kawanakoa as her Heir
Presumptive. He was raised to princely rank and granted
the style of Royal Highness, along with his children and
siblings. It is with his descendants, that the claim to
the regal title now rest.